The Complete Poetry of John Milton (147 page)

   240     
Yet
Israel
still serves with all his Sons.
³⁵

           
      
       
Samson.
That fault I take not on me, but transfer

               
On
Israel
’s Governours, and Heads of Tribes,

               
Who seeing those great acts which God had done

               
Singly by me against their Conquerours

   245     
Acknowledg’d not, or not at all consider’d

               
Deliverance offerd: I on th’ other side

               
Us’d no ambition to commend my deeds,
³⁶

               
The deeds themselves, though mute, spoke loud the dooer;

               
But they persisted deaf, and would not seem

   250     
To count them things worth notice, till at length

               
Thir Lords the
Philistines
with gather’d powers

               
Enterd
Judea
seeking mee, who then

               
Safe to the rock of
Etham
was retir’d,

               
Not flying, but fore-casting in what place

   255     
To set upon them, what advantag’d best;

               
Mean while the men of
Judah
to prevent

               
The harrass of thir Land, beset me round;

               
I willingly on some conditions came

               
Into thir hands, and they as gladly yield me

   260     
To the uncircumcis’d a welcom prey,

               
Bound with two cords; but cords to me were threds

               
Toucht with the flame: on thir whole Host I flew

               
Unarm’d, and with a trivial weapon fell’d

               
Their choicest youth; they only liv’d who fled.

   265     
Had
Judah
that day join’d, or one whole Tribe,

               
They had by this possess’d the Towers of
Gath
,
³⁷

               
And lorded over them whom now they serve;

               
But what more oft in Nations grown corrupt,

               
And by thir vices brought to servitude,

   270     
Then to love Bondage more then Liberty,

               
Bondage with ease then strenuous liberty;
³⁸

               
And to despise, or envy, or suspect

               
Whom God hath of his special favour rais’d

               
As thir Deliverer; if he aught begin,

   275     
How frequent to desert him, and at last

               
To heap ingratitude on worthiest deeds?

           
      
       
Chorus.
Thy words to my remembrance bring

               
How
Succoth
and the Fort of
Penuel

               
This great Deliverer contemn’d,

   280     
The matchless
Gideon
in pursuit

               
Of
Madian
and her vanquisht Kings:
³⁹

               
And how ingrateful
Ephraim

               
Had dealt with
Jephtha
, who by argument,

               
Not worse then by his shield and spear

   285     
Defended
Israel
from the
Ammonite
,

               
Had not his prowess quell’d thir pride

               
In that sore battel when so many dy’d

               
Without Reprieve adjudg’d to death,

               
For want of well pronouncing
Shibboleth.
⁴⁰

   290  
      
       
Samson.
Of such examples add mee to the roul,

               
Mee easily indeed mine
⁴¹
may neglect,

               
But Gods propos’d deliverance not so.

           
      
       
Chorus.
Just are the ways of God,
⁴²

               
And justifiable to Men;

   295     
Unless there be who think not God at all,

               
If any be, they walk obscure;
⁴³

               
For of such Doctrine never was there School,

               
But the heart of the Fool,
⁴⁴

               
And no man therein Doctor but himself.

  300   
    
         Yet more there be who doubt his ways not just,

               
As to his own edicts, found contradicting,

               
Then give the rains to wandring thought,

               
Regardless of his glories diminution;

               
Till by thir own perplexities involv’d

   305     
They ravel more, still less resolv’d,

               
But never find self-satisfying solution.

           
      
       As if they would confine th’ interminable,

               
And tie him to his own prescript,

               
Who made our Laws to bind us, not himself,

   310     
And hath full right t’ exempt

               
Whom so it pleases him by choice

               
From National obstriction,
⁴⁵
without taint

               
Of sin, or legal debt;

               
For with his own Laws he can best dispence.

  315   
    
         He would not else who never wanted means,

               
Nor in respect of th’ enemy just cause

               
To set his people free,

               
Have prompted this Heroic
Nazarite
,

               
Against his vow of strictest purity,

   320     
To seek in marriage that fallacious
⁴⁶
Bride,

               
Unclean, unchaste.

           
      
       Down
⁴⁷
Reason then, at least vain reasonings down,

               
Though Reason here aver

               
That moral verdit quits her of unclean:

   325     
Unchaste was subsequent, her stain not his.

           
      
       But see here comes thy reverend Sire

               
With careful
⁴⁸
step, Locks white as doune,

               
Old
Manoah:
advise
⁴⁹

               
Forthwith how thou oughtst to receive him.

   330  
      
       
Samson.
Ay me, another inward grief awak’t,

               
With mention of that name renews th’ assault.

           
      
       
Manoa.
Brethren and men of
Dan
, for such ye seem,

               
Though in this uncouth
⁵⁰
place; if old respect,

               
As I suppose, towards your once gloried friend,

   335     
My Son now Captive, hither hath inform’d
⁵¹

               
Your younger feet, while mine cast back with age

               
Came lagging after; say if he be here.

           
      
       
Chorus.
As signal
⁵²
now in low dejected state,

               
As earst in highest, behold him where he lies.

   340  
      
       
Manoa.
O miserable change! is this the man,

               
That invincible
Samson
, far renown’d,

               
The dread of
Israel
’s foes, who with a strength

               
Equivalent to Angels walk’d thir streets,

               
None offering fight; who single combatant

   345     
Duell’d thir Armies rank’t in proud array,

               
Himself an Army, now unequal match

               
To save himself against a coward arm’d

               
At one spears length. O ever failing trust

               
In mortal strength! and oh what not in man

   350     
Deceivable and vain! Nay what thing good

               
Pray’d for, but often proves our woe, our bane?

               
I pray’d for Children, and thought barrenness

               
In wedlock a reproach; I gain’d a Son,

               
And such a Son as all Men hail’d me happy;

   355     
Who would be now a Father in my stead?

               
O wherefore did God grant me my request,

               
And as a blessing with such pomp adorn’d?

               
Why are his gifts desirable, to tempt

               
Our earnest Prayers, then giv’n with solemn hand

   360     
As Graces, draw a Scorpions tail behind?

               
For this did th’ Angel twice descend? for this

               
Ordain’d thy nurture holy, as of a Plant;

               
Select, and Sacred, Glorious for a while,

               
The miracle of men: then in an hour

   365     
Ensnar’d, assaulted, overcome, led bound,

               
Thy Foes derision, Captive, Poor, and Blind

               
Into a Dungeon thrust, to work with Slaves?

               
Alas methinks whom God hath chosen once

               
To worthiest deeds, if he through frailty err,

   370     
He should not so o’rewhelm, and as a thrall

               
Subject him to so foul indignities,

               
Be it but for honours sake of former deeds.

           
      
       
Samson.
Appoint
⁵³
not heav’nly disposition, Father,

               
Nothing of all these evils hath befall’n me

   375     
But justly; I my self have brought them on,

               
Sole Author I, sole cause: if aught seem vile,

               
As vile hath been my folly, who have profan’d
⁵⁴

               
The mystery of God giv’n me under pledge

               
Of vow, and have betray’d it to a woman,

   380     
A
Canaanite
, my faithless enemy.

               
This well I knew, nor was at all surpris’d,

               
But warn’d by oft experience: did not she

               
Of
Timna
first betray me, and reveal

               
The secret
⁵⁵
wrested from me in her highth

   385     
Of Nuptial Love profest, carrying it strait

               
To them who had corrupted her, my Spies,

               
And Rivals? In this other was there found

               
More Faith? who also in her prime of love,

               
Spousal embraces, vitiated with Gold,